"Welcome to Frank's. What can I get for you today?" I asked the customers currently sitting in front of me. One of them wasn't your usual customer. No, it happened to be Tony Stark, one of the people I planned on avoiding my entire life. The other was Peter Parker. Friendly kid but hangs too much around Tony Stark for my liking.

"Adara, we need to talk," Tony said. I rolled my eyes in response. He has been trying to get me to join S.H.I.E.L.D. since I graduated high school at 14. They knew I had powers and wanted to use it to their advantage. However, I just wanted to be an ordinary super genius. "We have a project coming into S.H.I.E.L.D., and we need your help."

"I've told you many times before; I want to live a normal life."

"How can a super smart kid with fire powers live a normal life? You know you want to work at S.H.I.E.L.D. but your pride is stopping you."

"First of all, keep the power thing on the down-low. I can't have people here thinking I'm a monster because I'll lose my job. I need it to complete my schooling. Second of all, you may have convinced my parents that it would be a great idea to work at S.H.I.E.L.D. with them, but I don't want to. It would end up a disaster. Lastly, if you aren't going to order anything, I'm going to have to kick you out."

"Fine, I'll have a coffee and whatever the kid wants," Tony said in defeat.

I smiled at Peter. "The usual?" I asked, already writing down his order. Peter nodded, and I went to place their orders in.

"Sooooo," Hannah said as I got to the back counter. Hannah was my best friend, but she was totally obsessed with superheroes. Tony Stark being in the diner while she was working was her dream come true. "Is Tony Stark as gorgeous as everyone says he is up close? What was he talking to you about? How do you even know him in the first place?"

"Oh my god, Hannah. Enough questions," I said as I prepared the drinks for the two males that were giving us judging looks.

"What? I'm just curious."

"He knows my parents through their job, and he has been trying to convince me to work in the same company."

"And you said yes, right?"

"I said no."

"What?"

"I don't need a pity job. I'm perfectly fine working at the diner until I get a job on my own."

"You're 23 and were able to complete your bachelor's degree when you were 18. You could have had a real job long before now. You could have had your life set. Here you are, working and living with a broke 22-year-old with a useless degree and tons of debt that I will never pay off."

"You're overdramatic. Plus, I am focusing on my Ph.D. If I work more than a part-time job, I would be completely burnt out. I'm already exhausted as is," I said as I grabbed my tray with the two drinks on it and walked over to the table.

As I placed down their drinks, Tony said, "You know your parents miss seeing you. When was the last time you saw your family?"

"Toby's birthday," I responded.

"That was almost a month ago, and I bet you aren't planning on seeing them anytime soon, are you?"

"I will have you know; I have to see my mother soon," I said, ending the conversation. He knew full well that I didn't like talking to or about my parents. It was hard to talk to them when they pretty much disgraced you when they learned about your powers. I love my younger brother, Toby, but it was hard because looking at him always reminded me that my parents didn't want a broken child.

When I walked to Hannah and told her that I was done for the day and she could keep the tip from Tony's table, she nodded and understood that I didn't want to talk about what just happened. I went to the back and sat down. I pulled my knees to my chest and started to sob into my knees. None of them realize that I was and always will be a monster to my parents.

Once I finished my crying session, I wiped my eyes and grabbed my bookbag. I plugged my earbuds in and started listening to The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall. I made my way through the diner's backdoor to make my journey back to the apartment.

I kept my head low as I walked through the streets of the Bronx. It was just safer if you didn't bring any attention to yourself as you walked around. You never knew when or if you would get in the way of a gang member.

When I finally made it back inside my apartment, I let out a breath. I made sure to lock the door since Hannah told me she was spending the night at her boyfriend's place. I took off the black converse that I was wearing and headed into my bedroom.

Once I got into my bedroom, I connected my phone to my Bluetooth speaker to get my nighttime routine done without earbuds. Throwing my backpack onto my bed, I grabbed a pair of grey sweatpants and a black Led Zeppelin t-shirt that I took from my dad years ago from my dresser. I made my way to my bathroom so I could turn into the gremlin I genuinely am.

When I got into the bathroom, I immediately turned on the shower so it could heat up. I currently grabbed my makeup wipe and carefully took off the makeup I wore to work. I looked in the mirror to see the amber eyes burning right back at me. They were still slightly red and puffy from when I was crying earlier, but they were still as taunting as they always have been.

I quickly stepped away and took off my waitress uniform. It was those stereotypical pink waitress uniforms that looked like the 50s threw up all over it. I threw it off to the side and quickly stepped into the shower.

When I finished with my shower, I quickly threw on my clothes. I brushed the maple brown rat's nest on my head called hair. I twirled it into a tight bun and tied the bun with a hair tie. I quickly brushed my teeth and put my nighttime moisturizer on my face. I looked in the mirror one last time to see the innocent girl staring back at me. The innocent girl had the power to destroy so many people's lives if she tried.

I made my way back to my room, where Ramin Karimloo's voice calmed my thoughts down. I walked over to my bed before sitting down on it. I owned my nightstand to grab my pill bottle. I quickly dumped a pill in my hand to swallow when I noticed I was almost out.

I sighed as I took the pill. I texted my mother that I was going to stop by her office to get more pills tomorrow. This also meant I would have to go through one of her examinations. I turned my phone on silent, so I wouldn't have to hear the notification. I then pulled out my laptop and worked on my schoolwork to distract me until I passed out from exhaustion.